This invention relates to imide polymers having acid and anhydride levels less than are normally present in such polymers. This invention also relates to blends of the imide polymers, having lower than normal acid and anhydride levels, with other thermoplastic materials. The invention further contemplates a process for altering the properties of imide polymers by reducing or substantially eliminating acid and anhydride functionality on the imide polymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,374 describes and claims polyglutarimide polymers and their preparation. The '374 patent teaches that the degree of imidization of an acrylic polymer may vary from as low as 1% imidization to about 100% imidization. The '374 patent teaches that imidization is accomplished with anhydrous ammonia or an anhydrous primary amine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,284,425 is directed to the preparation of polymethacrylimide products. The '425 patent discusses the possibility that acid or ester groups may become isolated between adjacent imide rings. The '425 patent also teaches the formation of polymethacrylimide products which ". . . are substantially free of carboxy or ester groups . . . in which the degree of imidization is at least about 95% . . . " Thus, the '425 reference, while recognizing the presence of acid groups in the polyimides, teaches imidizing to at least about 95% imidization in order to lower or remove the acid functionality of a polymethacrylimide.
Further, there is no recognition in the '425 patent concerning adverse effects of the normal amount of acid and anhydride functionality on a polyimide polymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,717 describes a process for making imide polymers by reacting a monomeric dianhydride with a lactam or oxime to form a bis-imide having an acid-group-carrying radical attached to the imide nitrogen. The bis-imide monomer is then esterified with a reactive solvent that acts as an esterifying agent; methanol is typical. In the esterification process, the aromatic imide functionality is retained. The esterified bis-imide monomer is subsequently reacted with an aromatic diamine monomer in a polycondensation reaction, to form an imide or amide-imide polymer.
European Patent Publication 007669, published Apr. 13, 1983, describes the preparation of polyimides which are free from methyl substitution on the nitrogen atom. The European publication teaches the preparation of imide polymers free from methyl substitution on the nitrogen atom starting from a non-crosslinked polymer which contains glutaric anhydride units. The polyglutaric anhydrides are reacted with ammonia to yield the desired polyimides free from methyl substitution on the nitrogen atom. As the degree of imidization exceeds 95% and approaches complete imidization, the amount of residual acid and anhydride units remaining in the polymer chain becomes less significant, although the degree of imidization, if above 95%, is a factor which limits the utility of the resultant polyimide. When the degree of imidization is less than 95%, then the residual acid and anhydride functionality on the polymer chain results in less desirable properties than could be obtained when the acid and anhydride functionality is reduced or eliminated.
Makromol. Chem., 184, pages 1705-1726 (1983) discloses an analytical technique for confirming the chemical structure of the reaction products of polymethacrylic acid and formamide. The technique encompasses treating copolymers of methacrylic acid and methacrylimide with diazomethane. There is no disclosure in the reference procedure concerning the degree of imidization. Further, the imide groups are reacted along with the acid groups.
Japanese patent application 128,195, published Feb. 2, 1985, describes a process for preparing a polyglutarimide by condensing a polyamide or a copolymer of a methacrylamide with a methacrylate ester.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,046 discloses blends of vinyl chloride polymers and copolymers of the styrene-maleimide type. The '046 patent teaches that the imide used be prepared from a dicarboxylic acid moiety and that complete conversion of the dicarboxylic acid moiety to the desired imide be obtained by using an excess of the stoichiometric amount of ammonia or amine required for such conversion.
As a by-product of imidization of (meth)acrylic polymers by reaction with ammonia or primary amines, anhydride and acid groups are formed on the polymer chain. The acid and anhydride groups are intermediate in the formation of imide units. When the degree of imidization exceeds 95% and approaches 100%, the amount of acid and anhydride units present on the resultant imide product decreases and poses less of a problem. However, when the degree of imidization exceeds 95%, particularly when an autoclave process is used, then a high degree of discoloration of the resultant polymer and degradation of the polymer itself is often obtained. The degradation of the polymer may also lead to alteration of the desirable properties of the resultant imide polymer.
When the degree of imidization of a polymer is 95% or less, then the amount of acid and anhydride functionality normally present on the polymer chain as a natural incidence of the reaction involved becomes objectionable in that the presence of acid and anhydride functionality generally adversely affects the properties of the polyimide. For example, the presence of the normal amount of acid and anhydride functionality on an imide or polyglutarimide polymer will alter the miscibility of such polymer with other thermoplastic polymers. Additionally, acid and anhydride functionality affects the weatherability of a molded article prepared from such polymer in that the molded article will absorb more water as a result of the presence of the normal amount of acid and anhydride functionality. Further, high acid and anhydride functionality can result in higher melt viscosity which would translate into the polymer being more difficult to process into various molded articles.
It is an object of this invention therefore, to prepare a polyimide wherein the amount of acid and anhydride functionality is reduced from the amount normally present, or is substantially eliminated.
A further object of this invention is to prepare blends of polyimides with other thermoplastic polymers wherein the acid and anhydride functionality of the polyimide in the blend has either been reduced from that which was originally present or has been substantially eliminated.
A still further object is to provide a process for reducing or substantially eliminating acid and anhydride functionality existing on a polyimide.
Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following more complete description and claims.